USB 3.0 not working thru UASP

I linked it to an external drive with usb3.0 support through AKiTiO Thunder Dock, a hub which provides multiple host ports, including USB3.0, eSATA, Firewire 800, and thunderbolt as well.
However, the transfer rate is almost as low as USB 2.0.

Fyi, my caldiget thunderbolt dock works with UASP, and I only have usb 2 on the native (non dock) usb 2.0 interface.

It hasn't gotten a bunch of publicity, but you need UASP to be supported in the entire chain: usb controller on computer/expansion card/thunderbolt dock; usb hub (if you use one); and finally the usb case containing the hard drive.

If UASP is not listed in the specs for a drive/hub/controller, assume it does NOT have it, usb 3.0 was first released without support, and it costs manufacturers extra license fees to include it, so many don't bother with it.

My guess would be that something, perhaps the thunderbolt dock or drive doesn't have UASP to begin with. If you are sure both do, try it without the usb hub, as most docks do NOT support UASP that I have seen. I would then try the drive with a native usb 3.0 mac, to help rule out if it is your dock or drive casing that is the issue.

I figure out what the culprit actually is...
my external drive doesn't have UASP though with USB3.0

but does it make any sense that my drive runs at the same rate through dock's USB3.0 and built-in USB2.0, sometimes even lower through the former..

Click to expand...

I agree, the speed should be higher than usb 2, but less than full usb 3 due to the spinning hard drive.

Your thunderbolt dock is usb 3, so shouldn't be an issue if the computer originally is usb 2 or 3.

Maybe they used a cheap slow hard drive in the external enclosure?

I am not sure, but after verifying that the drive really is usb 3, the first thing I would try is replacing the usb 3 cable.

I had a blue colored usb 2 cable come with a hard drive once, I remeber thinking how confusing it could get. I guess the usb 3 cable could break so it is only detected as usb 2, or the port itself might be broken?

It would help to list the usb drive and model number here, to verify it is actually usb 3.

EDIT: I had one more idea.

Hook the drive directly to your thunderbolt expansion. (Don't use a hub.) If possible, disconnect any other USB devices to all other USB ports, to make the system information easier to read/understand.

In addition to the two listings of USB 3.0 (1 High, 1 Super) I also have listed two seperate USB High Speed Bus, which I believe is the internal stock USB 2 Busses. (Mine shows FaceTime Camera on one, and the Memory Card & IR reader on the other bus.)

Which bus is the drive listed under? A USB 3 drive should be under the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus, if the drive is detected as only a USB 2, it will be under the USB 3.0 High Speed Bus instead.

I agree, the speed should be higher than usb 2, but less than full usb 3 due to the spinning hard drive.

Your thunderbolt dock is usb 3, so shouldn't be an issue if the computer originally is usb 2 or 3.

Maybe they used a cheap slow hard drive in the external enclosure?

I am not sure, but after verifying that the drive really is usb 3, the first thing I would try is replacing the usb 3 cable.

I had a blue colored usb 2 cable come with a hard drive once, I remeber thinking how confusing it could get. I guess the usb 3 cable could break so it is only detected as usb 2, or the port itself might be broken?

It would help to list the usb drive and model number here, to verify it is actually usb 3.

EDIT: I had one more idea.

Hook the drive directly to your thunderbolt expansion. (Don't use a hub.) If possible, disconnect any other USB devices to all other USB ports, to make the system information easier to read/understand.

In addition to the two listings of USB 3.0 (1 High, 1 Super) I also have listed two seperate USB High Speed Bus, which I believe is the internal stock USB 2 Busses. (Mine shows FaceTime Camera on one, and the Memory Card & IR reader on the other bus.)

Which bus is the drive listed under? A USB 3 drive should be under the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus, if the drive is detected as only a USB 2, it will be under the USB 3.0 High Speed Bus instead.

Click to expand...

u r really brilliant, Richdmoore,
I finally went to a sales office to have all hardware tested, and found out all my blue colored cables coming with WD hard drives are actually USB 2.0 ones. My drive is right under USB 3.0 SuperSpeed now through a real 3.0 cable.

Yes, the 2011 Mac Mini has only USB 2.0 (no USB 3) but that is completely irrelevant since the Akitio Thunder Dock connects to the Mac via its Thunderbolt port. You cannot get USB 3.0 speeds through a USB 2.0 port.

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